Country Living Series

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

A rebuttal

With regards to the unpleasant snark our neighbor Enola Gay received about her son Master Hand Grenade's decision to become a butcher, my husband had a few additional choice words for the snarker. His commentary follows. (My dear husband doesn't like to mince words.)

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With regard to the anonymous correspondent of Enola Gay’s son Master Hand Grenade and Hand Grenade’s decision to become a butcher:

Patrice, of course, wrote a careful, well-thought-out comparative piece completely in line with the loving and thoughtful bride that has blessed me by sharing her life.

Now it's my turn. And I'm not nearly that nice.

I've spent a lot of my life dealing with a whole host of folks from all walks of life and I'm pretty good at reading people. So I'm going to give Mr. Anonymous a reading.

Sir (I'm assuming male from the manner and cadence of his brief post):

They say that brevity is the soul of wit. In your case "they" are wrong. Or perhaps they are right, but the definition of "soul" or "wit" needs amplification.

You seem to have Sir Hand Grenade all figured out. You've commented on, or inferred, his level of intelligence, educational achievements, social status, mental stability, people skills, and future earnings potential… and you've done all of that without ever once having seen or talked to him.

Well this seems like a fun game. So let me take a shot at it with you.

You are crude. I don't come to that decision based solely on the quality of your writing or the content of your message, although either of these would suffice. But the use of personal invective, flung at someone you do not know and who has never done you harm, is definitive. From this I must assume that either your family shares this trait, or more hopefully, they are in despair of your possession of it. In either case, and since you can tell someone's character by the company they keep, we can certainly posit that your friends and close associates must be equally mean and uncouth (assuming, of course, that you possess either friends or associates).

You place a high value on a college education. In point of fact, given that it's the be-all and end-all of your comment, you appear to hold it in higher regard than other human accomplishments and regard those without a college degree as somehow inferior. From this fact, as well as your disdain for the working class and your dislike of firearms, we can safely infer that you are both an elitist and a liberal (but I repeat myself). Further, we can assume you are both a toady and a sycophant since you appear to consider monetary worth and tangible assets as the most important factor in a man's value. From that it seems a fairly safe bet that you are also an atheist.

Finally, combining the inferences above with the general tone of your missive, I must inevitably conclude that you are an unhappy, lonely, bitter, and miserable excuse for a man; a witless, crude and insulting, uncouth elitist liberal whose greatest pleasure in life is toadying to wealthy snobs (who probably despise you for your all-too apparent weaknesses).

How'd I do?

Fortunately for you (and probably everyone who knows you) there is a cure. Drop to your knees and apologize. Oh, not necessarily to Sir Hand Grenade. He's a fine young man whose real worth is well known in our neck of the woods. There's not much you can do that would hurt him. No, you might want to make your apologies to God.

46 comments:

I don't normally post comments on the blogs I read. But, I needed to say something here. To the know-it-all dumb-ass who posted that Mr. Hand Grenade needed to get into a college to become something. My husband and I did not go to college. We did not even graduate from high school. We had our first baby when we were 18 and 16 respectively. We are currently the founders and owners of a business that makes $1,000,000.00 per year and is growing unbelievably. We have gone from just my husband and I the first year to now having 7 guys working for us. Now, I am not saying that a college degree is a bad thing. I am saying that you do not have to have a college degree to make something of yourself. Someone who makes these kinds of remarks about someone they have never met has a serious self esteem problem. Just because you are miserable in your life does not entitle you to belittle anyone. PERIOD. I believe the saying goes, If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all. A common life rule that even my kids knew when they were 5.

I like you guys, but a line was crossed when Mr. Lewis brought the man's family into it. As my mother would say, two wrongs don't make a right. And if I do recall, Jesus said to turn the other cheek, not get mad and go defensive. Even when Peter defended Jesus in the garden, Jesus did not agree. I'm not saying that a defense is bad, but insulting a man is getting even, not forgiving.

You make some good points, Troy. But I really don't think Don was wrong in saying what he said about the snark's family. At least, not if what Don said was TRUE, and I believe it was. As for Jesus telling us to turn the other cheek, He also said to take up our sword and follow Him. Turn your cheek to SOME, but with others you have to stand up to them and not mince words. Did Jesus go into the Synagogue and tell the money-changers and harlots that they were being naughty and should all leave? No, He drove them out with a whip! --Fred in AZ

And maybe you'd like to brush up on your Scriptural knowledge.....? Or at the very least refrain from speaking for Jesus. You're taking his words out of context in this case. When told His disciples He was speaking about the preaching of the Gospel, and not generally instructing that folks are supposed to be doormats or class persons just because we're Christians.

I'm not saying to be a doormat at all. I'm quite happy that Mr. Lewis stood up for this kid, and I agree with him 100% in doing that. I'm just saying that you don't need to insult someone to point out how wrong they are.

Also, A. McSp,please expound on this. I'm taking it out of context? Know that I ask this because if I am wrong, I truly want to know WHY I am wrong. The prelude to the verse I was referring to is "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you do not resist an evil man..." I don't understand how you say that is referring to the preaching of the gospel. Email me, because I have a feeling this is going to be a long conversation.

Well said Mr. Lewis. I was thinking was about the snark comments earlier. Does he not buy meat at the store? Who does he think cut and wrapped it? What does he do when he needs a plumber, electrician, HVACR tech, etc.? It takes people with varied skills, and these jobs are skills, that's why they're called skilled labor/trades, to make this world go 'round.

Dear Troy, I think you missed something important. The writer of the insulting post needs desperately to get himself together and get right with God. That doesn't happen until a person sees the need to. Don Lewis held up a mirror to this man and showed him, by example, that what he was doing was hurtful and insulting. Then he showed him what to do to correct it, if he wants to. Bravo, Don!

I am not sure that I would want a child of mine in college now. What is learned is debatable. The partying, the disrespect, the leftist teachers...Hmmm.What I adore is having many former students ( I taught kids who hated school and did not do well there) in jobs like yes...butchers, grocery store workers, day care operators, carpenters, etc. Many have been moved up the ladder to better paying positions. A lot joined the military and served with distinction. Good for you! Anyone that disrespects honest work is a snob and not worth much.

College isn't for everyone-some have a gift for a particular trade.Go for it! Trades have been, are, and always will be in demand. I've worked as a..multitrade.. of sorts before (for a small college and later a hospital), and snobs like that are fortunately, very rare ( the professors at the college were extremely friendly and polite, always thanking me for doing whatever repair was needed). The same could be said for the vast majority of the medical staff at the hospital. Jerks of that caliber are very rare-just noisy and get noticed more.

Anon, I think you got it and Troy missed the whole point. For the original snarky poster I know a gentleman that has a Doctoral degree and he thought that his wife's leg hair would not grow when she had a cast on. His point was that light could not get to it. Just because you had the opportunity to go to school doesn't make you smart just lucky.

Mr Troy, iffin you are going to quote biblical passages and parables, then I suggest you study and understand the Bible. Jesus's quote to "turn the other cheek" was to show dominance and show being equal. When the master slapped the slave he would have to use his backhand, and when you "turn the other cheek" he has to slap as an equal. Nothing Mr. Lewis said or inferred was derogatory or insulting, just manly and a Christian man at that, doing what he should be doing.

Don't ever talk to me like I'm an idiot please. I actually have a decent working knowledge of the bible, thank you. And I didn't actually miss anything. Nothing was derogatory or insulting? "you are an unhappy, lonely, bitter, and miserable excuse for a man" or "You are crude....from this I must assume that either your family shares this trait or...." Because that just screams Jesus loves you! *sarcasm*

Listen, I'm not trying to be a troll. And YES, the guy did wrong to insult Master Hand grenade. No argument there. All I'm saying is that it's better to "kill them with kindness", especially if you're trying to bring someone to Jesus. It's okay to point out someones flaws. Jesus did that all the time. But you can't find a quote in the bible where he directly insults anyone. That just doesn't show the love Jesus was about.

You still missed the point by a mile, Troy. Give it up, will you? You sound more and more like an arrogant, know-it-all liberal every time you open your mouth... or should I say type a reply? Like so many who don't take the time to understand the Bible, you take words and sentences from it out of context. What do you think Jesus meant when He said not to cast your pearls before SWINE? Gasp! He called someone "swine"? Yes! If you have children, I'm sure they're terribly spoiled, but with God and Jesus, justice for the unsaved will be swift and terrible. There will be no spoiled brats in Heaven.

Does the adjective fit? Troy I don't think you are an idiot or would talk to you as one. I think you are a naive young man with a seemly child-like view of the world. Of sitting around a campfire singing kumbaya and being nice to each other. Jesus wasn't nice, he was a carpenter, he dealt with fishermen, men who aren't noted for their stellar social graces, men whose hard and dangerous professions did not suffer fools. Jesus had a temper, note He was short with His disciples on several occasions, remember the money changers in the Temple? Jesus wasn't passive, He consoled to sell ones cloak for a sword. You are familiar with pictures of Jesus as a Shepard carrying a lamb, do you know why He was carrying it? A Shepard would break an errant lamb's leg to keep it close to the flock and the shepard, to not be a danger to same. Jesus will break a leg or two to keep His flock safe. Mr. Lewis had far more Grace and restrain the the original commenter had, he confronted evil, a low dose of evil, but evil nonetheless. He did it as strong, Christian Man. And, he wasn't nice about it, Jesus said the "Meek will inherit the earth" Meek, not the cheek turners or the nice, meek meaning God fearing. A last parting thought, one of the holiest, reverent, modern picture of piety, of Miss Enola Gay's husband kneeling with his I believe an M-1 Garand rifle, an instrument of almost God like proportions on the prairie. Humbly and reverently kneeling before God as a strong Christian man.

Actually Troy, personally I would consider "You hypocrites! You whitewashed open graves!" to be pretty insulting. Especially in cultural context with the dead being ceremonially unclean. Additionally I think that being told that what comes out of my heart and mouth is unclean would be pretty insulting as well. So, respectfully, I have to disagree with you.

Oh, and let us not forget the merchants and Pharisees in the temple being called thieves.

I'm not sure in what culture or context that would NOT be considered insulting.

Sometimes the Internet just does not suffice, and spoken words would do much better. I actually would enjoy a conversation with you, Mr. Cedarquist. And I'm not trying to make you mad. Shoot me and email to my google account some time and we'll talk this out. If I'm wrong, I'd like to know it. Especially on an issue as important as this.

I don't feel you are wrong Troy. I sometimes feel people willfully misunderstand in order to have someone to argue with. The posters who have said that you have missed the point, have missed your point. I think you are well aware of the point of Mr. Lewis' "rebuttal". I agree with your mother that "two wrongs don't make a right." I also agree that defending the young man in a graceful and eloquent way (the way his mother did) is preferable to lowering one's self to that of the attacker. I also agree with Sara. Anyone that post's something that is the slightest bit contrary to what the Lewis' post can expect a "flood of disagreement". Can we learn something from this whole situation? Maybe. But so far the things that come to mind are a couple of old adages. Think before you speak and treat others the way you would like to be treated.Clem In the deep.

A few facts for the idiot who thinks poorly of master hand grenades career choice. 30 years ago I worked for a large corporation "think animated mice and florida theme parks". I was a budding master mechanic then, and well paid. I found it very interesting in our union contract pay grade regulations tha certain skilled trades paid much more.Entry level cast members grade 8, entry mechanic grade 12, 20yr master mechanic grade 15, butchers, prop repairman and watchmakers paid at grade 22, the max. I made 14hr/grade 12 butchers made 26hr grade 22 in 1985!!!!!!!. My stepdad was trained as a meat cutter in his army enlistement in the 1950's. He often has friends and their friendsbug him to dress out their deer and other game. He gets paid cash or in choice cuts of meat.Why pay somebody? He's fast, never contaminates the meat, no wastage, a trained pro doing a job that he knows inside out. Also I have a friend, CERTIFIED GENIUS, high IQ all that, that graduated with Dual Phd's in Humanities and Semantics who was unable for 10 years to find employment other than teaching college with those degrees.A decade later he retuned to Medical School and Got a degree in Pharmacology and now makes a good living..

A friend of mine needed the services of a lawyer a couple of years ago for a child custody issue. He mentioned to the attorney that he is an electrician. The attorney laughed and said, "let me tell you a story".

"I grew up in a working class neighborhood back east. When I graduated high school, I went to college. My two best friends joined the plumbers union as apprentice. Four years later (and several loan later) I graduated and got accepted into law school. My friends "turned out" as journymen plumbers that same year. I went to law school for two years at considerable expense. I got an entry level job in a good firm and worked like a slave for 5 years for little money to make partner. After a couple more years, I went out on my own. Several more years of barely getting by as I built a clientele. Now, 15 years after graduating law school, I have all my loans paid off, I have a decent practice and am starting to make some money. Meanwhile, my high school buddies are getting ready to retire on full pension after making full journeyman wages for two decades. If I had it to do over again, I think I would have joined a trade!"My buddy called me on the way home that day to relate this story. It has always been quite powerful to me.

well said . Your assessment of the individuals character or lack there of, Is Spot on In my opinion. I believe Mathew 7-6 is applicable to this individual and his kind who drag our world down into the depths of despair. I wish you well in praying for them. I don't believe they will ever travel anything but the wide road in this life, missing the narrow way completely.

Excellent, Don, EXCELLENT! If only we had politicians who have half the common sense, honor and honesty of individuals like yourself. Unfortunately, liberals have been dumbing-down American citizens for many decades. This was necessary, of course, so they could condition the masses to blindly believe their lies. A good many of the liberal-believing masses think they are smarter than most others and are always looking down on anyone who hasn't been brainwashed like they were. These people are beyond reasoning with. They believe they are always right and have all the answers. They'll argue and cling to their lies until the last cows come home. Huge egos make them do this. --Fred in AZ

Cuttingly articulate and refreshing too. I like.I found this synopsis of "higher" education interesting and thought I would share: The disaster that the university has proceeded to inflict on the youth of America, I submit, is the direct and inescapable outcome of this grim equation. Grant to an industry control over access to the good things in life; insist that it transform itself into a throat-cutting, market-minded mercenary; get thought leaders to declare it to be the answer to every problem; mute any reservations the nation might have about it—and, lastly, send it your unsuspecting kids, armed with a blank check drawn on their own futures, says Thomas Frank in this article, Academy Fight Song, at The Baffler. -Old Soldier

There are far too many kids being persuaded into useless college courses, and I applaud that young mans initiative in choosing such a useful trade.My only argument with Don is his use of the term atheist as an insult, a belief in god does not automatically make you a better person, just a person who believes in god. I know many people who are hard workers, good parents and supportive members of the local community and atheists, equally people who are selfish bigots, lazy and dreadful parents and think their belief in god makes them better than others.-an atheist.

A belief in Christ makes you saved. As for our colleges today, you are so right. Patrice, her hubby Don and many others have been saying this as well for years. College has become a huge racket, with most graduates majoring in psychology! I have all the respect in the world for psychiatry, but none whatsoever for psychology. Most psychologists are nothing but know-it-all dopes, brainwashed by liberals into thinking they understand human nature better than everyone else. No wonder the majority of them can't land a decent job. Colleges are getting richer while We the People are getting dumber and further into debt!

I have personally met MHG. Real young men such as him are so rare these days that people like the snark can't relate to them. Their sense of inferiority (well founded) kicks in and all they can do is mock those better than them.

The same can be said for real men/real fathers like Don. I suspect Troy and some other commenters are taken back by similar culture shock.Montana Guy

One point that Mr. lewis missed is that approval from the snark would NOT be career enhancing, no matter what Sir Hand Grenade choses to do. I have several degrees and can say college is not a do all be all. If public education was still of the caliber that I was blessed with a high school diploma would suffice for many people. Civilization, as Snark knows it, would not exist if it were not for the plumbers, mechanics, carpenters, electricians and other skilled trades. By the way Mr Snark may be expressing some jealousy comparing his earning potential and Sir Hand Grenade's. JW M

On this same note when our oldest son was graduating and trying to decide for college or a trade, I strongly encouraged him to look into mechanic school. I'm a cyber security professional, and when comparing various trade and career demand over the previous ten years and projected demand for the next twenty I wish I could go back and do it over again. A certified bio-diesel journeyman mechanic can earn upward of $75/hour in some locales.

Also our real unemployment rate here is near 20%, but every mechanic I personally know is still working. They may have been laid off from a company, but they still are working as individuals. Perhaps not earning quite as much but still putting bread on the table.

In the IT field I have friends that have been job hunting for two or more years and still can't find an income stream adequate to support their families.

I agree with Don. This young man is looking towards the future. A future for him and a family. He will not have to pay back loans. He should be the poster man advertising "what a real man looks like"Kelly in K'ville

Great post Don...and Patrice....My dad was a butcher....He didn't finish college...went after serving in WWII and married and two yrs later had me...He earned a living and wasn't a college grad with thousands of dollars in debt...He worked all his life.So, I believe that Master Hand Grenade is right in choosing to do what he wants to do for a means of making a living....He is a fine young man that knows who he is in the Lord. He shouldn't be ridiculed for doing what he thinks is best and his character means more than a college degree any day....Most young people are floundering and he is standing upright....Good for you Master Hand Grenade....Thank you Don for speaking your mind instead of being politically correct (a communist term)....Love from NC